The original Dead Kennedys were every bit as shocking as the Sex Pistols, every bit as engaging as the Ramones and every bit as tuneful as the Clash.

The San Francisco band ranks as one of the most influential and important punk-rock acts of all time. The music the band made during its glory years, which lasted from 1978 until to the band first broke up in 1986, has truly stood the test of time -- especially 1980s "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables," which is routinely listed among the best punk records in history. The group caused a great deal of controversy, as well as garnered a huge underground following, with such pull-no-punches political songs as "Kill the Poor," "Holiday in Cambodia" and "California Uber Alles" (which slammed then-governor Jerry Brown).

The band reunited in 2001, minus original vocalist Jello Biafra, and still tours regularly. The group -- which currently consists of guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Flouride, drummer D. H. Peligro and new vocalist Ron "Skip" Greer -- performs Oct. 5 at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco (www.axs.com). Recently, we did an email interview with East Bay Ray, who still lives in Oakland.

Q You've been at this a long time -- the music game, that is. What's the motivation to keep playing?

A I couldn't imagine living a life without music! Growing up, there was great music in my parents' home. I remember a big collection of old 78 rpm jazz and country-blues records from the 1930s and '40s. My father would take me and my brother when we were very young to see such legendary performers as Muddy Waters, the Count Basie Orchestra and Lightnin'Hopkins.

Advertisement

Q How are the Dead Kennedys sounding these days?

A Everyone who has had an open enough mind to come to the shows has been ecstatic. And I say I agree. We hit it 99.9 percent of the time. Back in the day, it was more like only half the time. The music and legacy is very important to us and we aren't distracted by the weird issues that we had back then.

Q Fans have a hard time accepting change -- even when that change happened decades ago. Did it take some time for the fans to accept the Jello-less band as the Dead Kennedys?

A That's not quite true for all fans. We've had a lot of support. People who love the music and know that the sum is greater than its parts. And we are rockin' better than we did back then. The word has spread, and we've kept playing bigger and bigger shows.

Q What would you say to those fans who still say that it's not the Dead Kennedys without Jello?

A Aren't the music and message more important than any one personality? Especially in these times of a right-wing swing to an American version of fascism? The reason Biafra doesn't play with us today is that he's too embarrassed to admit he skimmed $76,000 from his fellow band mates and then lied to us about it. That's what he did to Klaus, DH and myself and that's what he was found guilty of in the trial. He can talk the talk but he sure doesn't walk the walk.

Q Will we ever see a reunion of the original Dead Kennedys?

A We were recently invited by a premiere festival so the fans could see the original DK lineup, many for the first time. A festival famous for reuniting such influential bands as The Sex Pistols, My Bloody Valentine, Portishead.

But Klaus, DH Peligro and I wish to apologize to the fans that would have liked to see the original DKs play together, the only stumbling block was Biafra who flatly refused. Klaus, DH and I are willing. Biafra is playing DK songs, we're playing DK songs. People want to hear them, why not do them together? (Biafra has been quoted as saying he's disdainful of nostalgia and rock reunions.)

Q A lot of punk records came out around the same time the Dead Kennedys were putting out records. What made the DKs' records stand out?

A Well we don't sound like anyone else, do we? We've all had different influences. Klaus was more jazz. Biafra was garage bands. Myself, blues and rock. And we put that together to come up with something new -- 2+2=5.

Q Punk fans know the score: The DKs are one of the most important punk bands of all time. But do you feel like the band gets its due in comparison to some of the other punk legends -- like the Ramones, Sex Pistols, etc.?

A Well we've never been on a major label, so we've never had the promotion that those bands did, so consequently we've gotten less recognition. But it does make me warm that we've influenced many important musicians. Can't top that! And we've actually earned a gold record in the U.S., even though we did it all ourselves on small independent labels.

Q I've seen footage of those early concerts, in the early '80s. Wild stuff. Does it get wild like that at DKs shows these days?

A Yep. But mostly it's better now, because it's more done with a sense of physical fun and the knowledge to keep it safe. Not from macho insecurity.

Q Describe a contemporary DK audience. Is it mainly older fans, who listened to the band way back in the day?

A No, actually it's probably only one-third from back in the day and two-thirds new fans. As a musician that is quite an honor. For most bands, the audiences are the same age as the band. Like when the Moody Blues plays a show, the audience is the same age as they are. Not for us, we are starting to get into a third generation.

Q What are your favorite punk bands?

A The Undertones, the Clash, the Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols.

Q Any modern acts worth listening to?

A The Sour Notes out of Austin. Foo Fighters. I met (the Foo Fighters') Dave Grohl and we drank Crown Royal together, and he said how I was an important influence on him.

Q So much about the band generated controversy, back in the day. Times have changed. Do you think the DKs would still generate controversy, if the band was first hitting the scene today?

A The Dead Kennedys main message has always been to think for yourself, get the facts before you accept an opinion. But lately I have seen so many people have such uninformed opinions about things they haven't spent the time to get the facts, it's scary. Folks do have a right to your own opinion but not a right to their own facts.

I feel that music can affect an individual and that's where things start. But music doesn't change things, you do. Change starts with how you treat your friends, your family, your co-workers and people you meet. If you don't do it there, it will not happen anywhere.